Kingdom Come
by Ceilo
Summary: The war between Jotunheim and Asgard resolved, Kings Odin and Laufey rule the Nine Realms together. This is the truth Thor has grown up with, and he cannot place why he expects things to be different. But after a chance run in with a mysterious Jotun in the woods, Thor, plagued be dreams of another reality, learns that there is more to his world than he has ever known. Thorki
1. Chapter 1

Title: Kingdom Come

Story Summary: The long-fought war between Jotunheim and Asgard has finally been resolved, and Kings Odin and Laufey rule the Nine Realms side by side. This is the truth Thor has grown up knowing, and he cannot place why he should expect things to be different. But after a chance run in with a mysterious Jotun in the woods, everything Thor knows will be changed forever. Plagued be dreams of another reality, and feelings not his own, he will learn that there is more to his world than he had ever known.

Rating: T

Story Warnings: yaoi, general confusion

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Avengers. Balder is sort of mine in a he-hasn't-t-been-portrayed-in-the-movies-yet kind of way.

Chapter 1: Kingdom Come

Notes: A long-awaited gift for my sister , I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post. It's almost finished writing, so I thought I'd try out the first chapter. Enjoy. ^^

_Run, run, run away_

_Buy yourself another day_

_A cold wind's whispering secrets in your ear_

_So low only you can hear_

_Run, run, run and hide_

_Somewhere no one else can find_

_Don't you fret, my dear_

_It'll all be over soon_

_I'll be waiting here for you_

_Run fast as you can_

_No one has to understand._

The Apple Ceremony. Witnessed by all, occurring twice every year. Each time the Gods would go to a different Branch of Yggdrasil, but the ceremony would be broadcast to every other Branch in any case. Still the prestige of being able to witness the Apple Ceremony live was immense, and this time, it was Midgard that had the honour.

Thor didn't understand why so many flocked to see it. And yet, at the same time, could not explain why it was that he found himself unable to resist always being present at the Ceremony, although he never allowed himself to get too close to the occasion. It wasn't like he couldn't see perfectly well watching the screens from metres away. Speaking of which…

"Aren't they incredible? I mean, not to toot my own horn, but since I got involved helping to develop the technology-"

"Since both you and Bruce got involved, Tony…"

"Yes, yes, since I, with a little help from Bruce, got involved in the development project for the screenings, can't you just see how far they're come on? Look at the quality on that!" Tony Stark, technological genius extraordinaire, gestured wildly towards the giant, holographic screens with his metal hand, the planes of smooth silver gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. Steve narrowed his eyes at the boy, irritated on behalf of the third, the quiet Bruce who always minded being overlooked far less than Steve did on his behalf. Thor was sat on a short wall behind them, Tony leaning on it just to his left.

"Whoever the creation of the technology is down to, it is a most impressive work," Thor tossed forward tactfully. Bruce smiled at him in shy thanks; Tony's smirk just grew wider.

"Some of our best work yet, Bruce," he said cheerfully, slapping his companion on the back, thankfully with the flesh limb. "We're headed for great things after this, mark my words!"

"Your words are often nothing but thin air," Steve scoffed, but even he no longer had any real anger in his voice, only admiration. Tony grinned at him, almost sweetly, before a sudden fanfare announced the start of the show. Thor shuffled uncomfortably on the wall as he watched the eight figures emerge onto the stage, the zoomed in images of their faces as they moved gracefully onto the stage displayed with perfect clarity on the surrounding screens. The rulers and gods of all the nine Branches.

Odin came first, walking in from the left, and was met in the centre by Laufey, who came in from the right. There had been no effort made to disguise the height difference between them, it was still clear to all who beheld them that they were of equal power, despite Laufey's towering build. They met in the middle and gave each other a short bow, before standing to face the crowds. Next came their most trusted companions, Laufey's youngest son, Byleistr, and Heimdall, clad in his golden armour that shone in and like the sun.

Next came the women, the Queen Frigga and the Lady Sif, both clad in glistening, bejewelled gowns. Thor frowned at the appearance of these two in particular. There was something in Frigga's face, in her slightly downturned lips and seemingly worried eyes that riled his mind, and set him on edge. Then again, who was he to presume to understand the moods of the Queen? Sif too set him on edge, but it was far harder to pinpoint just what it was about her that upset him.

There was something about the too-delicate tilt of her head, the docile folding of her hands, and the carefully curling hair that tumbled down her back that didn't sit right in his mind. Which made even less sense than the queen. It was fully expected that the Gods would act as their position dictated, so why wouldn't Sif dress like the noblewoman she was?

Thor shook his head, attempting to clear it of thought as the final two members of the inner count came onto the stage. The heirs to the Yggdrasil: Helblindi Laufeyson, and Balder Odinson, two immeasurably different beings, both in appearance and personality. The towering, well formed Helblindi, his body clearly made for battle and power, alongside the more slender Prince of Asgard, whose silver hair was tied neatly behind him to hold it back from his face, and allow his cool blue eyes to survey all that was before him. Although he clearly lacked the same physical prowess of Helblindi, and even of his own father, it was well known throughout the branches that Balder was a commander of magic, well versed in spells and made him just as formidable as any of the Jotun royals.

And quite besides anything else, the sheer cool perfection of his features had most of the women in the crowd, and a few of the men, letting out dreamy sighs. Thor barely spared a glance at Tony's screens, which he was certain were spending more time focused on Balder's face than they really needed to. He wasn't sure if they'd even shown Helblindi at all yet.

The royals assembled, the crowds began to roar, clapping and cheering as their Gods stood proudly before them, standing tall, the Æsir in shining armour, the Jotuns adorned with gemstones.

A few seconds later, a young girl came onto the stage, fresh, eager face filled with that well known mix of fear and awe; awe that she had been chosen for such a task, and fear of going wrong. Cradled in her arms, looking nearly too big for her to manage alone, she carried a golden bowl, filled to the brim with apples. The apples shared the same luminous glow of the golden bowl, and they illuminated the girl's face, both of which could be seen clearly on the screens.

Thor felt a tightening in his gut, a strange uncomfortable feeling that made him feel sick. He glanced around his friends; all three seemed fixated on the ceremony, although Tony's hand continued to toy with a piece of his arm that was coming loose. Having talked about it with them after previous ceremonies, Thor knew what they were feeling. Everyone who saw the golden apples of Idunn felt the same, a sudden desperate hunger, a sensation that they felt, that they somehow knew in their gut, could only be satisfied by tasting the almost luminous fruit contained within the bowl and now being cupped by the Allfather. The crowd held its breath, for a second, and then teeth were biting into the delicate fruit, and a cheer went up as Odin held the apple aloft, juices running down and across his fingers. The apple was then passed to Laufey who took his own bite, provoking another cheer.

In similar fashion the remaining apples were passed around, shared between each pair who had come onto the stage together. Thor stared at them, gaze intense, and he didn't realise just how hard he was gripping his arm until suddenly the ceremony was over, and Tony was shaking him, and he realised he had left nail marks in his own flesh from the tightness of his grip. He let out a long whistle of breath, sinking lower in his seat, watching as the last of the gods left the stage and, the event over, the crowds gradually started to disperse. Such a tiny event, yet so much publicity, Thor mused, feeling a sick feeling sink into his stomach.

"Sorry, I've got to go…" he finally spoke in response to his friend's questioning, tone vague and unusually elusive for the open man. Tony rolled his eyes at him.

"You always do this. Every Ceremony that happens, you always disappear," Tony complained, throwing his arms up in exasperation. Steve and Bruce were taking a gentler approach, concerned expressions on their faces.

"Try to come back as quickly as you can?" Bruce asked softly, and Thor smiled tightly, but genuinely.

"I'll do my best," he promised, before finally leaving them and hurrying back to the house they shared. Tony was right, this was a regular thing, and as a result they had formed a routine. Thor would return to the house first, grab his trusted hunting axes, and any supplies he couldn't forage for himself in the forest. The others would avoid coming home until he had gathered his things and disappeared into the woods for as long as he needed to clear his thoughts and wipe away the sick feeling in his stomach.

He always felt a little guilty when his head had finally cleared, and he was left surrounded by splintered bases of trees, fallen trunks surrounding him. He chopped it up as best he could and hauled it back for selling or for their own uses in the house. His way of apologising for his intense dislike of the Ceremony and the ill feelings it provoked in him.

The others would never ask him about why he disappeared, or try to understand why he disappeared, and for that Thor was thankful, seeing as he didn't understand it himself.

He just…

Thor mused on the subject restlessly as he entered the wood, fists clenching and unclenching. The scent of the apples, Tony and the others had always said, smelled delectable enough to be faery food, after which no mortal sustenance would ever be enough again. To Thor, it had always smelled like a kind of death all on its own.

As he made his way through the trees, Thor slipped the axe out of its holster at his waist, slinging it in his hand, grip loose and ready to hurl at any prey. His ears were pricked, keen and searching as he crept through the woods. He didn't actually need to be hunting; he had plenty both to eat himself and to sell for money to purchase anything else. If he was honest with himself, it felt like running away. Which was ridiculous – he had nothing to run away from. But this always seemed to be the case, whenever the Apple Ceremony took place, the inexplicable feelings of sickness rose within him, and he found himself want to run as far and as fast away as he possibly could.

His feet did indeed start to pick up speed, until he was racing through the forest, far too loudly to have even a hope of catching anything. Charging ahead like this, feeling the wind whipping against his face, there was no way for stressful thoughts to remain in his head, all sense of anything but the wind ripping through his hair, past his body, fled from his mind. He was so distracted from everything around him, he was completely oblivious to the figure that darted out in front of him, turning to face him in shock, before he crashed head over heels into them.

They tumbled down to the ground with yelps of surprise and pain, and Thor was struggling to push himself up, when his hand pressed down against the stranger's palm. There was a startled gasp of pain and surprise from the figure underneath him, and Thor opened his mouth to apologise when lightning suddenly shot up through his palm, and through his entire body.

Odin and Laufey were bent over a holographic tablet, discussing a matter that had arisen regarding Alfheim, when the feeling shot through their chests. Laufey was the first to recover, his red eyes glinting darkly as he regarded the Allfather, who still had his hand clutched to his chest.

"So, they have been found," he declared, rising to stand as Odin pulled himself together, also standing and descending the flight of steps that led up to his throne, and the Kings exited the room in search of Heimdall, doubtless already searching out Loki and Thor with his all-seeing eyes.

"It seems to have been so long…" Odin commented, face set in a frown. Not one of anger, but one of deep thought as he mulled over the idea of finally seeing his sons again- no, not his sons. Odin's son and Laufey's son. He glanced over to Laufey, glad he had not said such a thing out loud. Laufey had ended up being terribly possessive of Loki, whether just because of the younger man's unmatched prowess in magic or because of a sense of genuine kinship he did not know. They had had this argument before, however. Frigga had all but exploded in Laufey's face upon hearing his lay claim to Loki, and above that daring to tell the Queen that her time spent with him was meaningless in the face of his true blood and heritage.

Frigga had snapped at him then, eyes cold with fury as she dared him, dared anyone to tell her that Loki was not just as much her son as Thor was, as any of her other children were. Odin had pointed out that Thor was not in fact her son either. Even when Ragnarok had come and gone, Odin knew he would never forget the way Frigga had looked at him, speechless with shock and betrayal, before she gathered herself up, and had swept out of the room, haughty, cold, and without a word.

Just like Loki would have done.

It was as though Frigga, and indeed her relationship with Odin, had never recovered after such a comment. She still attended the ceremonies, still attended public events, but was tight-lipped and stern at all, and the second they returned to the palace she would sweep herself away, not to be seen again. The servants took her any meals. Odin didn't bother to ask them where it was his wife hid herself away.

He was pulled away from such thoughts, however, as the two Kings reached their destination, Odin pushing aside the intricate door that lay before them, and entering the room within.

Sif felt the run of magic through her body just as surely at the Kings had. The intensity of it made her stumble, and she berated herself for being such a weakling. Until she remembered that that was part of whom she was now. It was so long ago that she had abandoned her warrior's garb and weapons, and taken up the position befitting of her rank in the halls of the gods. Yet…even as she unclenched her fist from her silky dress, and smoothed out the fabric, why did she still feel disgust for her weakness, and longing for the days of battle?

Trying to brush the troubling thoughts from her mind in favour of the far more important news, she hurried forwards down the corridor she had been travelling down, altering her direction as she approached a certain room, which, upon entering, she found Balder, Helblindi, and Heimdall already inside.

"My Lord Heimdall," she greeted hurriedly, ducking her head respectfully, genteelly. "I felt…that is, have they-"

"Both of them have been found," Heimdall's deep tone echoed around the room, his eyes fixed on a distant point ahead of him. "They have made contact, and as such are now visible to me."

"Then we will waste no time in bringing them to us," a commanding voice spoke, and all eyes bar Heimdall's snapped to the door as the Allfather and Laufey-King entered the room. Sif dropped into a second curtsey, Helblindi and Balder making short bows to their fathers.

"Send out a search party immediately," Laufey continued where Odin had left off, nodding to his eldest. "Helblindi, you lead it. Bring them back as quickly as possible."

"Ah, Laufey-King," Sif spoke up, timidly, eyes casting down as the imposing frost giant turned his gaze on her. "I, I just wondered…" she spoke slowly, "considering what has happened…in the past…would it not be best to approach them more subtly? Rather than with full armed guards?"

Laufey was silent for a moment before he spoke again, answering the dark haired woman, "They are likely to resist either way. And Loki will discover anyone we send undercover within a matter of minutes. Better to send a force that can fight back than one which is easily overpowered," he decided, dismissing her concerns swiftly. "Helblindi, move out as soon as you can."

"Yes, father," the younger frost giant replied, bowing once again before exiting the room. Balder, who had watched the entire exchange silently now stepped forward, his head tilted delicately to the side.

"Father," he began, features eerie in their stillness as he focused his blue gaze on Odin. "May I request that I…" he trailed off, eyes still fixed on Odin.

The Allfather sighed, inclining his head. "You may not," he said heavily, "but I feel you will do it even if I order you not to." He fixed Balder with a matching blue gaze, which his son returned with blatantly suspicious innocence. Odin sighed gain jerking his head towards the door, and the corner of Balder's lips twitched, as he exited the room, turning down the corridor after Helblindi.

Sif watched them go, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"If I may be excused, my lords?" she asked quietly, and the Kings bowed their heads in agreement. Sif left the room swiftly, having to steel herself to head towards her chambers instead of following Helblindi down to the stables. Maybe she could do some painting or weaving or something to occupy her twitching fingers.

It took several minutes, but the hand was finally snatched out of Thor's grasp. He was left staring at his empty fingers blankly, before gaping up at the figure before him. The figure was standing directly in the path of the sunlight, effectively hiding him from Thor's view. Thor's palm still tingled, as he attempted to form words and try to comprehend what had just happened.

"That…was…" he stared, before the words failed him and he trailed off, absently pulling himself to his feet before looking in wonder at the, slightly shorter, figure before him. Although no longer bothered by the sunlight, the stranger had snatched the opportunity to cover their face secretively with their hood, shielding them once again from Thor's view. "Excuse me, I…I don't know how to explain this but did you just feel-" Thor was interrupted rudely by the figure suddenly and sharply turning away from him, stalking away into the woods. "Hey!" Thor cried out, reaching out and grabbing them by the wrist once more.

The result was instant, the sensation shooting through them both again like a lightning bolt, almost bringing them to their knees. Thor's eyes were wide, and he didn't let the wrist out of his grip this time, even as noises of protest started to come from the hooded figure.

"I demand you release me!" a deep voice suddenly hissed, and the man - because now Thor was sure it was a man, pulled his arm so hard Thor felt something unpleasant click in it, causing the man to let out a hiss of pain.

"I'm sorry," Thor told him sincerely, although he didn't loosen his grip. "But I…I need to…" He was cut across by the sudden sound of hooves and feet, pounding through the forest, apparently demolishing the foliage as they went, the sound of branches snapping as loud as the thudding feet. Thor started to shuffle nervously, an implacable feeling of guilt making him suddenly restless. The hooded man seemed just as jumpy, dancing back from foot to foot, a hiss coming from under the heavy hood as the sounds drew closer to their location. Thor started to move away when the yell came.

"You! Halt!" came the sudden cry above the pounding of hooves, and Thor looked around once again to see who could be on the receiving end of such a command. Seeing no one as before, a feeling of shock sunk into his mind, and he turned wide eyed to face the small group of soldiers, armed soldiers, both Jotun and Æsir bearing down on him. He stared a moment more, still unable to believe that they could possibly be speaking to him when he heard a sudden curse from behind. He turned back to the hooded figure that had shrunk back, head shaking from side to side as he looked around seemingly for a means of escape.

"They're after you?" Thor spoke half to the stranger, half to himself, beginning to move away when another shout from the soldiers commanded him to be still once again. Both of them? Thor thought incredulously, head twisting between his cloaked companion and the soldiers.

Before Thor could open his mouth, before he could even say a word or process the idea that the soldiers were there for him or all people, he suddenly felt his wrist being grasped with electric sensation, and he was suddenly being dragged through trees and foliage by the cloaked man, who didn't even look back to the blonde as they ploughed forward, away from the guards. The figure before him seemed to be a strange kind of clumsy, Thor thought in confusion. Despite his clear ability to navigate the thick roots and bushes that provided coverage for the forest floor, he kept slamming into tree trunks, fingers catching along branches and leaves as they passed.

Thor's mouth opened to ask just what was happening, when he heard a sudden rustling from behind. He twisted his head to try and see, and almost killed himself tripping over a root and almost dragging down his fellow escapee in the process. But the glance had shown him all he needed to; the foliage springing forth thicker and faster than could possibly be natural. With another glance at the slender hands, Thor thought he could even make out glowing symbols on them, magic illuminating them and causing their path to be masked.

In light of that discovery, Thor's lips sealed shut, and he cautiously bestowed his trust onto the man dragging him forward, their tightly gripped hands still causing electric current to flow through his veins, bringing him alive in a way he hadn't thought possible.


	2. Chapter 2 (a)

**Chapter 2 (a)**

**Chapter Warnings:** more confusion

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Avengers. Balder is still sort-of-mine, as is Helblindi.

**AN:** A shorter chapter now. More a part (a) of Chapter 2, haha. The second part will be coming soon. ^^

_It's like a sickness  
I'm powerless to stop it  
My boring life, my little heart  
Made misanthropic  
Don't give me reasons  
Just give me therapy  
(But really just give me what I want)_

The guards attempted to pursue for a good while, but soon found themselves lost in the woods, the horses of the Æsir struggling to pick their way through, and the Jotuns too large themselves to be able to navigate a Midgardian forest with any kind of ease.

"Damn it all," came an aggravated voice from the back of the party, and the soldiers all quickly bowed their heads and backed away to the sides as Helblindi stormed his way through, snapping branches as he went and cursing as he found himself unable to pass through.

"You will have no luck with that," came a second voice, and the next figure to pass through had the guards bowing even lower than they had for Helblindi. Balder kept his chin tilted up as he rode his grey horse through the path created by the soldiers. He kept his expression aloof, delicate features fixed and lovely. Helblindi may have commanded respect as a soldier and as a leader, but Balder inspired devotion with appearance alone.

Balder the Beautiful.

Balder the Sorcerer.

Balder the Warrior.

Helblindi glared back at his companion, not taken in by the youth's looks for a minute. He may have fallen for the pretty face at the beginning, but he had spent far too much time with the other prince since, seen his temper snap childishly one too many times to hold his in the same reverence as the soldiers did.

"And why, pray tell, will I be having no luck?" the frost giant sneered, and Balder slipped down from his horse, navigating the roots delicately to come to stand beside him, reaching out to place long fingers on the trees around them. A faint blue glow emanated from his hands.

"A spell has been cast to make these grow," Balder explained, bending down to push at the dirt further tendrils of his magic slipping out to search through the ground, to locate their target. "Be reassured, Helblindi. It is not simply your size that is making you struggle so with the terrain. Although the odds are already stacked somewhat against you." He murmured, eyes slipping shut and eyebrows furrowing as he pushed forward with his magic, desperately, and with an edge of panic, searching for any residue or imprint left behind for the runaways. Helblindi just scowled down at the mop of silky straight silver hair, tied back neatly. He hardly thought one who was already undersized for his own kind had any right to comment on the widely regarded impressive size of another kind. He experienced satisfaction as he saw Balder's fist suddenly clench in the dirt, knuckles turning white as his magic dissipated, clearly unsuccessful in his task.

"Having some trouble there, Balder?" Helblindi asked lightly, lips curling into a grin.

"It would appear the Jotun has been using his magic to quite the effective end," Balder said simply, although the crinkling of his eyebrows and the grit of his teeth gave away his irritation at the situation. He brushed a strand of silver hair back as he tried to focus his own magic on seeking out the fleeing couple, not one to sit back as his magic was outdone.

"That is obvious," Helblindi snarked, anger returning. He was just as annoyed that their prey had succeeded in escaping them, but still enjoying Balder's taste of failure after the Jotuns had been so disadvantaged by the trees. "And you would do well to refer to him with more respect than that. He is more than just any random Jotun."

"Not at the moment he isn't," Balder countered softly, his hands starting to glow once again with a faint blue light, "he is a stranger to both you and I at this moment, as is the other. But as soon as they have partaken in the apples," he murmured, extending his hand, and watching the glow leave it into order to indicate the direction they needed to next head it, "now, after the apples, that'll be a different story."


	3. Chapter 2 (b)

**Chapter 2 (b)**

**Chapter Warnings:** not much.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Avengers. Balder is still sort-of-mine, as is Helblindi.

**AN:** Part (b) is here~ And we finally have a meeting, and the plot starts to move forward. ^^

**On the Run**

_But I've a strangeness_

_A queer propensity_

_For twisting the knife too easily._

Thor and the stranger finally slammed to a stop, Thor pitching forward onto his knees as he breathed heavily, gulping in lungful after lungful of air. His sudden and unexpected companion was half collapsed against a tree, also wheezing from lack of breath. He wasn't actually sure just how long they had kept running for, but it was long enough for lights to dim and pain to start throbbing in his side.

"What was that?" Thor asked as soon as he was able to speak. "Why were there Einherjar? What have I- we, what have we done? What have you done?" he took another look at the hooded figure, "Who are you?" he asked finally, the most important question escaping him until he had worked at least some of the tangle of thoughts out of his head. The hooded man gave a startled, derisive laugh, at Thor's expense and at the expense of his confused questions.

"I am Loki," the stranger finally let slip through gritted teeth, "and I was perfectly happy minding my own business until _you_ came and slammed into me, and apparently brought the_ royal army_ with you!"

"I did not bring them!" Thor protested loudly, "I have never done anything to warrant the attention of the royal families, certainly not enough to require arrest by the _royal Einherjar_…" he pondered his actions of the day, wondering just what it was he had done. Because surely there was something? The Gods themselves would not take interest in him had he not done anything wrong…his mind wandered back to the Apple Ceremony his gut tightening uncomfortably once again. He hadn't realised, but since the collision the anxiety and tension he had been feeling had completely disappeared, all throughout their escape and collapse against the trees.

The second his thoughts had returned to the ceremony had made the heaviness settle on his shoulders, dampening his mood. The now named Loki was apparently either completely unaware of the feelings that had come down on Thor, or he simply didn't care, as he let out another mocking laugh. "And what, you think it must therefore be I who has done something?" he asked snappily, arms crossing beneath his cloak as he pushed off the tree to stand with his hip jutted to the side.

Thor frowned, "How would I know?" he asked, his own tone sour, "I have never met you before! You could be a criminal for all I know!"

"Well I assure you I am not!" Loki returned, "it is the same from my position, I do not know you are who you say you are, nor do I know what you have or have not done. I can't trust a word you say. Even if I wished to, which I don't, I would not be able to do so."

"I would think I am more trustworthy than you. At least I don't skulk around forests with my face covered!" Thor shot a pointed look at the hood. "Besides. They said it was the both of us they wanted. We must be equally guilty in whatever we have done. If we are to run together, we should be able to at least trust each other a little?" He tried to offer a peaceful gesture, although he had no idea, and very little confidence in fact, that Loki would accept it. Indeed, Loki did not seem impressed or encouraged, stepping back from Thor.

"I do not wish to work with you. I do not wish to be anywhere near you!" he claimed. "If I am to be stuck with you, so be it, but I will only endure it for as long as it takes to straighten out this ridiculous mess."

"So be it," Thor agreed slowly, "But if we are to work together I demand you at least show your face to me. I cannot trust one whose face I cannot even see."

"Tough," Loki shot him down immediately, "I have every right to keep myself concealed if I wish, I have no obligation to you." He said snippily, chin tilting up proudly. Thor grew angry, and he strode towards Loki angrily, hand outstretched,

"At least once, I demand you show me your face!" Thor cried out loudly and, before Loki could protest, Thor had seized hold of his hood and ripped it back, eliciting a cry of pain from Loki as his hair was caught in his grip. But Thor barely noticed, as he stared with intense wonder at Loki's face.

Black and gold tattoos rioted across as much of Loki's skin as Thor could see. The seemed to shimmer and fade, the curling patterns sinking in and out of view under his skin. The sound of a throat clearing could suddenly be heard, and Thor looked down to find Loki with eyebrow raised at him, expression still pained and furious, hood down around his shoulders for the first time since they met. Thor released his grip on the fabric and Loki's hair, taking a step back to take in the full appearance of his apparent partner in crime.

Long black hair tumbled over his shoulders, curling down to mid back. It was pushed back from his forehead; Thor spied a couple of shiny gold beads threaded in to help keep it in place. It revealed pointed ears, coloured a deep blue, as was the rest of his skin, where it hadn't been dyed darker by the stab of a needle, and then later highlighted with gold. Looking closely, Thor realised it wasn't actually solid black, but thousands of lines of tiny runes and spells, inscribed right across Loki's skin, across his palms and fingers, and trailing up along the inside of his wrist, to…

Loki cleared his throat again, and Thor looked him in the eyes guiltily.

"Like what you see?" Loki asked dryly, sharply, opening his arms outwards in mocking display to allow Thor a better view. Somehow, the plain cloak and simple leggings and tunic looked out of place against Loki's deep blue skin and red eyes, which were still narrowed with fury at Thor's impatient violence.

"You…" Thor attempted to speak, to find anything in his suddenly empty head to say to him, "You are of Jotun blood?"

"And of Æsir," Loki said indifferently, examining his nails as if he had not a care in the world for lineage or race. Not that that was an uncommon view in this day and age, but he did seem to be more than a little overly nonchalant about it. "What of it?"

"How can you be sure it is Æsir? It may be Midgardian." Thor argued pointlessly, still staring. Loki gave a huff of impatience.

"Midgard blood drains the colour of Jotun skin. Æsir blood deepens and enriches it." Loki informed him.

"Oh." Was Thor's eloquent reply. It occurred to him that before now he had never had an answer for why the smaller breed of Jotuns could have skin colours ranging from the deepest royal blue to the pale almost grey-based tones that others had. "Is it the same with the markings…?" he asked curiously, thumb reaching up to brush over the scores marked across Loki's forehead, brushing against the black and gold writing that lay between them, the tattoos even extending to his face.

Loki flinched backwards and slapped Thor's hand away. "I do not know about the markings," he replied, snappishly. "There seems to be no correlation between outside blood and the prominence of markings, other than the more distant the Jotun blood, the more the markings fade." His fingers rose to run across his own markings gently, feeling the ridges that mapped out his face. Thor swallowed loudly, and tried not to imagine tracing his own fingers over those markings, feeling Loki shiver at the touch, beneath his fingers-

_Woah. Woah there, brain. Back up a few steps._ Thor had only just met Loki- and by running into him no less. And now they were being chased by palace soldiers, for reasons still unbeknownst to the both of them, and yet he honestly couldn't stop staring at Loki, drawn to him by some unknown force. Thor's finger's twitched; he wondered if he would feel that same electric sensation once again if he were to make contact with blue skin again.

Loki had apparently grown sick of Thor's deep thought and prolonged silence, his own long fingers dancing anxiously over his arms. Like Thor, he had no idea why the Einherjar had suddenly appeared, or why he was feeling such revulsion towards Thor, such an urgent need to get away. "This is ridiculous…" he muttered angrily, moving a couple of steps away from Thor. "This whole situation is downright ludicrous. Why in all the nine realms are we being chased?


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Chapter Warnings:** a danger of actual plot development

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Avengers. Balder is still sort-of-mine, as is Helblindi. And Býleistr I guess, not that he appears much.

**AN:** I apologise for any typos you guys find.

_So if you love me let me go_

_And run away before I know_

_My heart is just too tired to care_

_I can't destroy what isn't there_

"_Brother! Brother! Bro-o-o-theeeer!"_

_The loud wail could be hear all throughout the surrounding corridors of the palace, as could the pounding sound of feet as the blonde haired child rushed to find the source of the crying. He eventually entered a room, where a black haired boy sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by books. It was obvious from the disarray, the dark haired child's loud wails, and the way he was sprawled out across the floor that there had been an accident._

"_Brother, what happened?" the blonde asked loudly, dropping to his own knees to draw the smaller close. The dark haired boy latched onto his brother eagerly, his loud cries gradually dying down as he clung to the shirt in front of him, turning it damp with tears._

"_I-I just wanted a b-ook, b-ut it all fell do-o-own!" he sobbed, clinging as tightly as he could. His blonde sibling stroked his hair soothingly, pulling the boy as close as he could._

"_Shh, shh…it's ok now brother, I've got you. You're going to be fine now, brother." He murmured soothingly, "I'll take care of you now, brother._

_I'll always take care of you, Loki."_

Loki's eyes snapped open, his breath being sucked in with a rasping sound. He sat up sharply, groaning as the world rocked around him. That dream. That dream had been- Loki swore softly under his breath, as he felt the memories already slipping out of his gasp. Rubbing his temples slowly, he activated a couple of the golden runes inked there to try and disperse the thumping headache that had already started up.

'_It's too early for this…'_ he thought irritably, twisting around to peel his cloak off of the ground, and he suddenly caught sight of the large blonde Thor, sprawled out at what Loki deemed to be a completely unacceptably close distance, still asleep and twisted towards Loki. The blanket that had been atop him was now in a twisted mess around his legs, and Loki's eyes rolled, the memories of the previous evening catching up with him and making him groan, the pain returning to his head despite his spell.

'Far_ too early.'_ Loki reiterated mentally, already in a thoroughly bad mood as he shook out his cloak, dislodging the leaves from it before he strode over to Thor, fully ready to kick him in the side in order to wake him, when something struck him about the sleeping man's face. Pausing in his violent wake-up scheme, Loki hesitantly bent down to crouch beside Thor's head, staring at the relaxed features studiously. Hesitantly, his fingers outstretched to trace along Thor's hairline, along his cheek and dangerously close to his mouth. Loki felt a strange sensation in his cheeks, and the stirring of something he couldn't identify in his chest. A faint memory stirred in his mind and his hands stretched out, grasping at Thor's shirt.

His eyes were half lidded, and he bent down even closer, inhibitions slowly vanishing as he came close to Thor's chest, the sensation growing stronger, and memory almost within his grasp-

When Thor's arms suddenly shot out, pulling Loki down against the ground, and even more, against Thor's chest. The shock jolted Loki out of his half daze, and fully back into his bad mood. He glared at Thor, fully expecting the man to be awake and with a teasing smile on his face. Instead, he was met with the same serene expression, the only difference being the slight upward twitch of lips to indicate the sleeping man's pleasure at having, apparently, a brand-new teddy bear.

Loki struggled, intending to free himself from the oaf's grip, but a puff of warm air against his face made him pause, and he stared down at Thor's sleeping face which, upon drawing the Jotun into his arms, had spread into a full, contented smile, as opposed to the small movement of lips there had been before. Loki stared at it, expression disbelieving.

"You fool…" he murmured, pressing his hand against Thor's chest, but couldn't bring himself to wake the man. Instead, he found he was content to remain lying down, peacefully. Encircled by strong arms, he felt he could almost drift back to sleep until finally, the sun rose in the sky, and Thor's eyes opened at long last.

He had the gall to look surprised at the sight of the thunderously disapproving Loki glaring at him from the circle of his arms, all his anger having returned at the sight of the awake but still blank face. Thor still didn't release him, even when awake and faced with such an expression.

"Loki?" he questioned, tone light. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? Oh I just thought it might be pleasant to get myself trapped within the embrace of an oaf who can't tell the difference between a full grown Jotun and his childhood toys!" Loki said sarcastically, wriggling to show his desire to move. Thor apparently was not at his brightest in the early hours of the morning, as he simply squinted at Loki, mulling over his words and getting five from two plus two.

"You did?" he asked, and all but snuggled Loki closer, causing the blue body to stiffen.

"Oh for the love of…" Loki hissed, and finally delivered a swift, ruthless knee to Thor's privates. That certainly woke him up, the blonde man's face contorting in acute pain, releasing Loki and rolling over, away from him. Loki smirked in vicious victory, finally able to stand and shake himself out once more. He helped himself to rooting through Thor's supplies whilst the other groaned and whimpered on the ground (honestly, it's hadn't been that hard, he was such a child) in order to search for supplies.

"Why do you have so little food in here?" He called back to Thor, once he'd had a good rummage and found meagre provisions, but not nearly enough to last for one planning on staying out in the woods for an extended period of time. "How long were you planning to stay in the woods for? You brought a near-useless blanket for sleeping purposes, sparse food that could keep you satisfied for no more than a day, surely...you have perishable foods too." Loki shot Thor, who was finally sitting up and only looking a little miserable about the state of his privates, a condescending, curious look. "Either you are the worst camper I have ever met, or you did not plan to stay for more than a single night?" He guessed, abandoning Thor's bag in order to stand.

"I did not know how long I would be staying for," Thor confessed, also standing and allowing himself another self-pitying wince. "I was…not in my right mind when I packed. I assumed I would be able to hunt for anything else I needed…"

"For one person that might have sufficed," Loki admitted, taking note of the heavy axes Thor had secured around his waist, "but not if the two of us stay together. Which, as much as I would prefer not to, it would no doubt be wiser to do." He turned to look towards the edge of the forest, "There is a market at the edge of the forest, I believe. If we are lucky, we put enough distance between ourselves and the soldiers that we should be able to get supplies there before they are able to set the people against us."

"You think they will try to turn people against us?" Thor questioned.

"I do. They will tell the people either the truth of why they want us, or if it is a secret matter, will spread some lie that will guarantee that the people will be on the guard and looking out for us," Loki paused, lip quirking up sardonically after a moment. "Why deploy many soldiers when you can simply use the common man as your eyes and ears?" he explained, and Thor shivered a little. He had never put much thought into such things before, and both the idea of being able to trust no one and the fact that Loki appeared to have put much thought into the matter unsettled him.

"Let's hurry then," he muttered, ending the conversation by moving to snatch up his bag and slinging it over his shoulders, walking briskly towards the point where he could see the trees thinning. Loki blinked in surprise, having no idea that his conversation might make Thor uncomfortable. Shrugging it off, he followed after Thor, pulling his hood up to hide his face away once more. They walked together in a not quite companionable silence; Thor unable to think of any topic of conversation other than the reason they are being hunted for, and Loki uninterested in petty conversations.

It was much the same once they had reached the village, although Thor's mood naturally lifted upon being amongst a bustling crowd, watching the people mill back and forth, those with Jotun heritage standing a little taller than everyone else, a couple of dwarfs hurrying around and bumping into a set of knees. Thor grinned at the sight, but Loki apparently did not share the sentiment, neither for dwarfs nor crowded places.

"Let's get this over with as soon as possible," was his irritated contribution to the non-existent conversation, and Thor sighed.

"Very well," he replied tersely, making his way into the crowds, pushing towards the first vendor. Progress was slow, as despite Loki's seemingly no-nonsense approach to gathering supplies earlier, he became fussy and unhelpful as they made their way around the stalls, picking faults in everything Thor did or chose, dismissing products rudely and dragging him to the next stall to find something more to his princess-fancy. Thor wanted to snap at him that they couldn't be fussy if they were on the run, but he knew that crowded places had a habit of becoming quiet just as you said something you wished not to be overheard. And so he grit his teeth and allowed himself to be pulled along, every so often meeting the gazes of the vendors, whose expressions often ranged somewhere between irritable at Loki's attitude, and sympathy for Thor, who was putting up with it without a word of complaint.

They had finally succeeded in making several small purchases, when suddenly Loki's voice rang out in shock, and Thor's stomach clenched.

"Shit!" Loki's curse was swift and sharp, as was his tug on Thor's shoulder to bring them back behind the covering of a wall.

"Loki?" Thor questioned, having the instincts to at least speak in a whisper, gazing down at the Jotun by his side, who was peering anxiously around the corner and out at the market they had just been perusing.

"Balder. Prince Balder is there, talking to the vendor we were just at," Loki hissed, grabbing Thor's arm and pulling him along rapidly. "Gods know what he's telling them about why they want us, but it's not going to be good. They'll know we were here in no time," Loki's voice was low and he spoke swiftly, but he couldn't hide the panic laced through his words. And, Thor wondered, it may have been his imagination but didn't Loki seem more worried about the Einherjar than he had done before?

"That is still something I do not understand," Thor joined in the muttering, Loki's grip falling away from his arm as he reached his stride, matching Loki's easily, "It is one thing for a criminal to be chased down by royal Einherjar, depending on the severity of the crime. But for Prince Balder to be here, searching for us? Regardless of the fact we do not even know what crime we have committed, there is no reason in any realm I can imagine why they'd send the prince after us!"

"Yes, well…" Loki began, but a sudden yell and the clattering of what could only be soldiers built up behind them, and the turned to see a ground of Einherjar appear around the corner, one of them spotting the duo. "That's all very well and good, but I would much rather prefer to discuss it outside of the prisons of Asgard!"

With that they broke into a run, the Einherjar following with a yell. Thor bumped into a cart of apples, sending them tumbling, along with the Einherjar who ran too quickly to notice and soon found themselves with angry vendors blocking their way and demanding a price for the fruit. As Thor almost slammed into another cart thanks to his distraction, Loki reached back to grab his hand and pull him forward into the path Loki made before him. Thor gripped his hand tightly, not even sure he cared about using their escape as an excuse for the rush that filled him from contact with those long blue digits.

But suddenly, as they turned a corner, there were no longer fingers in his, and Thor stumbled back as Loki vanished from his sight, leaving Thor abandoned, with the sound of Einherjar growing ever closer. "Loki?" Thor hissed in panic, stumbling around in a circle, panicking as the sounds of yelling grew closer and closer, and there was nowhere to hide – and then suddenly there were long fingers gripping the back of his tunic in a vice grip, and hauling him up into a branch. Fingers then wrapped around his lips and he was pulled back deep into the tree, his back pressed firmly against Loki's chest, who was in turn pressed against the tree. Loki's breath hissed in Thor's ear, and Thor could feel the thumping of both their hearts, increasing as the sound of heavy footfall and muttering could be heard from below. The hissing soon turned to muttered incantations, and Thor could see and feel the tendrils of golden magic as they twisted around his limbs, leaving what they touched dimmed and near transparent, faded against the branches that already concealed them well.

After a few heart-numbing moments, the sounds from below finally faded, as the Einherjar finished searching the ground levels and moved on. Thor was surprised they had not combed the trees too, but he supposed there were a number of reasons why they wouldn't. Least of all because he had a feeling Loki's magic had probably done more than to make them look a little transparent.

"…That was too close," Loki finally breathed out, and Thor let out a weak laugh in agreement, pulling away with no small reluctance from the slightly smaller figure. The branch creaked ever so slightly as Thor moved outwards on it, away from the thicker, more secure centre of the tree, which Loki was still pressed into, as if he'd be crushed into the space by some large opponent. Thor blinked, Loki shifted, and suddenly the comparison was lost, and Thor wondered how it had ever been there to begin with.

"Too close perhaps," Thor agreed, "But we still do not have all we need. We will need to go back to the market again if we intend to have enough to last us back to my friends."

"We would be caught as soon as we enter the market!" Loki protested, "Everyone will know by now that a pair of criminals were spotted in the vicinity, pursued by an entire group of Einherjar, to go back now would be suicide!"

"Not if we split up," Thor said, firmly. Loki fixed his sharp gaze on him, eyes narrowed, "I know what you said about it being best to stick together," Thor continued hastily, not letting Loki interrupt, "but you also said that they would be looking for a pair of criminals. Simply by working separately to gather supplies we would attract less attention." He finished, peering intently at Loki's face, waiting for his reaction. Loki blinked up at him in shock, as if it hadn't quite occurred to him that Thor could have ideas of his own.

"That's…quite clever, actually," the Frost Giant said faintly, and Thor allowed himself a grin despite the situation. "I could add a glamour too," Loki added, eyes narrowing as he retreated slightly into his own thoughts, "you wouldn't need a very strong one, just a little something to divert attention…something _boring_, I think," he said finally, looking back to Thor and reaching up to trace a few shapes around Thor's face, glowing faintly once again. "There we go," he said finally, patting Thor absently on the cheek before pulling away. You'll be fine like that."

"Where are you going?" Thor asked curiously as Loki began to slide down from the tree, hood up and around his face once again.

"If we're going to split up anyway, I'm going to do a little investigating," Loki landed with a small thump at the base of the tree, Thor sliding down after him. Loki turned his head halfway back towards Thor, so his profile was just showing. "Since we know for a fact they have the people searching for us now, and that whatever it is we have done is enough to warrant the attention of Prince Balder, they are sure to have given a reason. I intend to discover just what it is we have…done." He said it distastefully.

"Will you be safe?" Thor asked, a spike of worry in his chest. Loki scoffed,

"Don't you worry about me. Where I'll be looking and listening, royalty doesn't deign to tread. You'll be the one right in the open," Loki said cheerfully, clapping Thor on the shoulder. Said shoulders sagged a little but Thor didn't complain. They agreed quickly upon a meeting place and time back in the woods, and set out on their separate ways, Thor heading back to the market under a glamour, and Loki secreting himself into the shadows almost immediately, too subtle for Thor to see at all after a moment. He paused for just a few seconds, staring down the alley, and wondering about his companion. Loki seemed to be a collection of bizarre personality traits tied up into a mismatched vessel of Jotun and æsir, and Thor wasn't sure he'd ever get a handle of his true personality. If he even had such a thing. Half of what came out of Loki's mouth seemed to be biting truth, which cut deep and accurate despite Loki having only half the knowledge he should need to make them, and the other half Thor was convinced Loki was lying through his teeth. For what reason, Thor couldn't fathom. He half wondered if Loki lied just because it amused him to see the results. _He'd always been like that. There was nothing which gave him greater amusement than stringing the court along to his whims without them even realising he was doing so_.

Thor blinked suddenly, eyes unfocusing for a moment as a blur of gold and green passed across his mind's eye.

Court?

Always?

…_What?_

Thor shook his head from side to side, until the last winks of colour had faded from his mind, finally leaving his vision clear. Well that was weird. Weird, but as it turned out, quick to fade from his mind, leaving behind only a faint bugging sensation of déjà vu, as Thor made his way back to the marketplace to continue the shopping alone. He shifted uncomfortably under the shimmer of Loki's spell, feeling the itch that always came with the hum of another's magic being used upon oneself. However it was not just that he found, but the dishonesty of stealing from these people who had done nothing wrong pained him. He had been shopping for a while now, and in the interest of avoiding too much contact had simply slipped a few items from each stall, and if possible he tried to leave a few coins balanced on the edge of the counters where he could, but he did not know if the people he stole from would find it, or if the coins would be snatched up by the greedy pickpockets that roamed the streets.

Therefore he tried to limit what he bought, glancing over the less necessary items and trying to stick onto to what was absolutely necessary. Loki had disappeared off on his own, claiming he was hunting for any information that might have spread about the reasons for their being hunted down. Considering his way with words, combined with magic, Thor had little doubt he'd be successful.

He glanced around, having checked what he had already 'bought' and checking that he was completely finished before returning to the woods. However, as he was turning, something glittering caught his eyes. Focusing on it fully, he realised it was a jewellery stand. Thor wandered over to it slowly; he had everything else he needed, the spell Loki had cast was still holding strong, so a little look couldn't hurt. Much of the jewellery, glittering earrings and necklaces, pendants, were heavily weighed down with precious stones, several pendants looking almost too large to be able to sit comfortably on one's chest. Thor's eyes glanced over these swiftly. There was only one person he had in mind when he'd come to this stall, and gemstones were not what he would appreciate, Thor was sure. He was about to give up hope, when a single item caught his hand. It was a gold band, designed to be worn on the wrist. It was reasonably thick, and at first glance seemed to be totally without decoration. But when Thor picked it up to take a closer look, he realised the entirety of its out surface was inscribed with the tiniest, most detailed designs he had ever seen on metalwork. On anything, really.

It was perfect.

He caught the gaze of the vendor, and cleared his throat, "How much is this?" he asked, and the vendor glanced dismissively at the bracelet.

"Surely you do not want such a plain item?" he asked, gesturing with large hands to his other wares, "surely there is something else, something finer a man like you would prefer to present to his lady…?"

"It's not for a lady," Thor told him bluntly, and grinned at the wide-eyed look on the man's face. The man floundered for a few moments, before stuttering out a price. Not a high price; Thor realised why the man had been encouraging him to buy something a little more decorated. Thor paid the full price, and grinned as he slipped away into the crowd, sliding the bracelet into his pouch. He decided to wait a little before giving it to Loki.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Warnings: **some male/male cuddling. But if you don't want that I honestly don't know why you're reading.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own any of the Avengers. Balder is still sort-of-mine, as is Helblindi. And Býleistr I guess, not that he appears much.

**AN:**Again, no guarantees about spelling. This is mostly un-beta'd.

Thor paced back and forth, a few metres into the woods. He told himself he wasn't anxiously awaiting Loki's return. The glamour Loki had placed on him had long since faded, leaving him exposed to recognition, but he felt he was far enough into the woods that it hardly mattered; they would not search the woods aimlessly, and he had not left a trail for them to follow more precisely.

In the end Thor was distracted enough by over-embellished imaginings of what fate had befallen Loki that he did not even notice the approaching figure until there was a hand on his shoulder, making him jump violently.

"Oh by Jotunheim, calm down," Loki groaned, having jumped himself in reaction to Thor's sudden movement. "It's just me. No need to scream like you're a five-year-old."

"I didn't scream," Thor argued, although his relief overtook any anger as he grasped Loki by the arms, peering at his face. The normally blue-skinned male still had the remnants of a glamour clinging to him, brown threading through his hair, and a strange shape curving his face in unfamiliar ways. But the red eyes were his, and the glimmer of gold was showing through across his brow. "It is good to see you, Loki. I'm glad you're back, even if you do not look entirely yourself."

"The glamour I used for myself is a lot stronger than the one I used for you," Loki said absently, fingers coming up to peel at the unfamiliar features, tearing them away as if they were cobwebs, to reveal his true features beneath. "Since I had to be a little more…hands on, shall we say? Pursuing information requires far more direct interaction than procuring food." The last of the glamour was gone, and Thor's lip twitched upwards at the sight of wavy black hair, absently reaching up to fiddle with one of the gold beads.

"I am glad you have no further use for it," he said, "I far prefer this form to any other you could imagine for yourself." Loki's cheeks flushed dark blue at that, and he battered Thor's hand away fussily with his own, fiddling with his hair.

"We need to move further into the woods," he said finally, "You will need a fire, and the further in we are the less likely we are to be noticed." He said this like Thor hadn't already worked that out, and was pouting because he'd considered himself already far enough in, and bent to pick up a couple of the parcels of food. Thor took the others, and they found a place to make camp and settle down. Thor built a small fire quickly, Loki lighting it with a wave of glowing fingers before Thor had a chance to. The Jotun only smirked when Thor turned to look at him questioningly.

They divided up rolls and cheese to eat, as Thor skinned and prepared a rabbit he had caught. It was all quite companionable really, compared to the first awkward night. Despite their sitting apart from one another, Thor close to the fire for warmth and Loki a little further back for the cool night air the tension had drained from the air. The silence was present once again, but it was calm this time, thoughtful rather than stressed. Thor leant back, allowing his gaze to fall on Loki, admiring him and his shimmering skin, as he hadn't had a real chance to until this point. Suddenly there was a low laugh, and Thor's gaze shifted to meet Loki's amused eyes, lips quirked into a miniscule smile. "Like what you see?" Loki echoed his own words from the previous night, the hard edge disappearing from them so they now resembled light teasing, not a scathing remark designed to bite. It was prompt enough for Thor to return the smile, edging a little closer to his companion.

"Indeed I do," he spoke honestly, and Loki's smile widened, a little delighted at the response. "I'm almost glad you hid them away today," Thor joked a little, referencing the tattoos "I want to keep such a wonderful sight to myself," he continued, not entirely sure that he was just talking about the tattoos now. Loki's smile faltered, however, his gaze downcast. Thor matched his expression, words turning serious too. "…Were you able to find anything out? They must have explained why they wanted us, did they not?" he asked, curious and eager in a way that made him sick to his stomach to hear the answer.

"Well that's just the thing," Loki huffed, brows furrowed together. "According to a group of gamblers, two fugitives were being tracked down for an assault on the Lady Frigga."

"But neither of us ever-" Thor began, but Loki cut him off,

"According to the barmaid in the tavern, the two criminals were being chased because they had stolen from the vaults of Asgard." Loki's voice was toneless now, deadpan. "Or perhaps they had sabotaged the horse that Balder was supposed to be travelling on, or they tried to disrupt the Apple Ceremony. There are no two tales that coincide."

"So all we know for sure is that they are not revealing the real reason?" Thor summarised softly, his own brow matching Loki's. "The Apple Ceremony…" he mused. "You know, that is the reason I was in the forest that day at all. I had…" he flushed suddenly, ducking his head down. Great, he was basically inviting Loki to ask why the Ceremony had caused him to go running through the woods, and Thor would have to try and explain his sick feelings when it came to watching it. Steve, Tony and Bruce found his aversion weird enough, and they were far from many of the utterly fanatic supporters who actually made it their life's ambition to see every ceremony live.

When Loki turned to face him however, with a slow rotation of his head, his expression was unfathomable. "The Ceremony?" he echoed lightly. "That…" he paused for a moment, before continuing to speak, "…that was my reason for being in the woods too. Normally I watch with everyone else, but I…this time I didn't even stay to see it. I actually live far on the other side of these forests," Loki indicated vaguely with his hand, "I had already been running for quite some time before we collided. Normally I at least sit through the ceremony, but…" he pulled a face, "the stench of the apples were just too much. That, and staring at everyone's gormless faces as they stared up at the screen…they were so pathetic, I just wanted to-"

"Wait, what?" Thor interrupted. "What did you say?"

Loki frowned at him, "that people are gormless idiots who-"

"No, not that," Thor hastily interrupted again, "The apples. What you said about the apples."

Loki was still for a moment, before he pulled a face. "Oh. The apples. They smell revolting, and the stench is apparent from a mile off. Don't tell me you're one of those people who stares at the apples, drooling over them, wanting to have just a bite, just a lick…?"

"No," Thor said quietly, halting Loki's increasingly mocking words, "No I'm not. They have never smelt anything but rotten to me." Loki's face remained smooth and impassive, but the subtle flicking back and forth of his red eyes, the slight crease in the forehead told Thor that Loki was thinking about his words very hard indeed. "Is that why they want us?" He asked, although he expected no answer. It seemed the only reason, but it was too strange, too empty a reason. Loki could not fill in the details, the reasoning behind such an answer. Quite besides anything else, they couldn't have a way of being able to tell whom the apples smelt bad to. If the matter were really that simple, they would have discovered the pair's mutual dislike for the apples long ago.

"I do not know," Loki said finally, and, to both their surprise, stood up and moved to sit directly beside Thor, flopping down to rest his head on Thor's shoulder.

"…Loki…?" Thor asked quietly, and received only the rusting of black hair as a response as the Jotun shifted slightly, gold in his hair glittering in the light of the fire.

"I'm tired," he murmured, "I'm tired, I've used a lot of magic, and you're comfier than you have any right to be," his tone was less accusing than it might have been, and instead left a strangely warm, fuzzy feeling in Thor's stomach. Tentatively, Thor brought up his hand, gently touching it to Loki's hair, and making soothing stroking motions. Loki let out a little sigh at the attention, a satisfied, content sigh, and Thor could feel his heart thumping again. This was weird. They barely knew each other. Yet, looking down at Loki, he couldn't help but feel like they'd known each other for years. As though this moment was the culmination of much, much time spent as friends, companions, always dancing on the precipice of being something more, but never quite tipping into it.

Looking down at Loki, curled against him even more and practically purring as Thor stroked his hair, Thor decided that this was a precipice he would not mind falling over the edge of.


End file.
